Speculation continues on the cause of the blast that killed seven, including five Canadians, at a Playa del Carmen beach resort.
From the start, Mexico's state prosecutor and local officials said trapped gases from a nearby swamp ignited and blew up. However, CBC reports that on Tuesday investigators said they had found a ruptured sewer pipe about 10 metres from the site of the blast at the 676-room Grand Riviera Princess resort. They added that it was too early to definitively state the cause of the explosion.
Meanwhile, it was a sombre scene yesterday as a WestJet flight brought home shaken guests staying at the hotel when the blast occurred. New guests who arrived November 14th and 15th were relocated to the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda.
WestJet Vacations has announced that guests scheduled to stay at the Grand Riviera Princess Resort will be offered the option to move to a new property, cancel their vacation package or re-book to an alternate destination. Re-accommodations are dependent on the scheduled time of arrival.
Sunwing Vacations issued a press statement yesterday contradicting a travel press report that listed the company as one of the operators featuring the Grand Riviera Princess property. Sunwing’s Daryl McWilliams say Sunwing sells only the adjacent Grand Sunset Princess Resort, which he says was unaffected by Sunday’s tragic incident and continues to operate normally.
“Our destination team has contacted all of our passengers in that hotel, and new arrivals were welcomed there yesterday and today as normal,” McWilliams said. “However, as a goodwill gesture, Sunwing is allowing any passengers booked to stay at the Grand Sunset Princess up to and including December 31st departures, the option of changing, free of charge, to one of several comparable properties in the Riviera Maya, if they prefer to do so.”
In other news stemming from the incident, Canada's Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA Canada) says it has received calls from agencies and consumers regarding statements attributed to ACTA spokesperson Gary Ralph in a CBC report regarding the possibility of refunds for travellers concerned about going to Mexico following the recent explosion.
The CBC report stated: "Gary Ralph, head (sic) of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, said that because of the tragedy, most travel agents are working to accommodate those who want to cancel their trips. He noted that customers who paid by credit card and haven't travelled yet can get a refund."
ARTA says it contacted all the major credit card companies, and none have advised that customers bound for this area in Mexico or Mexico in general would be entitled to a refund in this situation. Several tour operators with Mexico departures have also indicated that refunds are on a "discretionary basis" only.
